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COSTA RICAN Facts & Figures

Size: 19,653 square miles

Population: 4,608,426

Capital: San José

Currency: Costa Rican colón

Weather / Climate:

Because Costa Rica is located between 8 and 12 degrees north of the Equator, the climate is tropical year round. However, the country has many microclimates depending on elevation, rainfall, topography, and by the geography of each particular region.

Costa Rica's seasons are defined by how much rain falls during a particular period and not to the four seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. The year can be split into two periods, the dry season known to the residents as summer, and the rainy season, known locally as winter. The "summer" or dry season goes from December to April, and "winter" or rainy season goes from May to November, which almost coincides with the Atlantic hurricane season, and during this time, it rains constantly in some regions.

The location receiving the most rain is the Caribbean slopes of the Central Cordillera mountains, with an annual rainfall of over 5,000 mm (196.9 in). Humidity is also higher on the Caribbean side than on the Pacific side. The mean annual temperature on the coastal lowlands is around 27 °C (81 °F), 20 °C (68 °F) in the main populated areas of the Central Cordilera, and below 10 °C (50 °F) on the summits of the highest mountains.

Taken from wikipedia

COSTA RICAN languages

The official and predominant language of Costa Rica is Spanish; the variety spoken there, Costa Rican Spanish, is a form of Central American Spanish. In addition, several Chibchan languages, including Boruca and Bribri, are spoken there. The Oto-Manguean language Chorotega is extinct. An English-based creole language, Limonese Creole, commonly called Mekatelyu, is spoken by the descendants of Jamaican laborers on the east coast of the country. Mennonite immigrants to the country also speak Plautdietsch.

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_costa_rica

COSTA RICAN culture

For decades Costa Rica has stood out for its stability and has benefited from the most developed welfare system in the region.

It has no standing army, and its citizens enjoy one of the highest life expectancy levels in the Western hemisphere and better living standards than most of Central America.

Traditionally dependent on coffee, banana and beef exports, Costa Rica has diversified its economy. The opening of a large computer chip plant in the late 1990s was a fillip to the economy, but its fortunes have been subject to the fluctuating world demand for microchips. Tourism is Costa Rica's main source of foreign exchange. Its tropical forests are home to a profusion of flora and fauna, including 1,000 species of orchid and 850 species of birds, such as macaws and toucans.

The Caribbean coast with its swamps and sandy beaches is also a big draw. But Costa Rica is trying to shake off its reputation as a destination for sex tourists.

Costa Ricahas been used as a transit point for South American cocaine and there have been allegations that drug-tainted money has found its way into the coffers of the two main political parties.

Once dubbed the "Switzerland of Central America", the country's self-image was badly shaken in 2004 when allegations of high-level corruption led to two former presidents being imprisoned on graft charges.

Emerald rainforest, pastel-coloured hummingbirds, smouldering volcanic peaks, tumbling rivers, and freshly picked oranges still warm from the glowing Central American sun: if Mother Nature can ever be accused of showing off, it is in Costa Rica.

Sat just north of the Equator, this verdant chunk is one of the most bio-diverse spots on the planet. Costa Rica has a simply stunning variety of landscapes, microclimates, and flora and fauna. Showcasing the country's breathtaking plant life, Costa Rica's national parks are its greatest glory, with one-third of the country set aside as protected natural areas. As well as being a world leader in eco-tourism, Costa Rica superbly caters for visitors looking for an adrenalin kick, with options including whitewater rafting, zip line tours through the rainforest canopy, surfing and quad biking.

Along with the other Central American countries, Costa Rica is the country it is as a result of the Spanish invasion. Costa Rica wasn’t an easy country to conquer, largely due to the varied terrain and the lack of return for the effort. While other countries in the region were turning up gold and silver galore, little seemed to be gained from Costa Rica. However, the settlers worked hard to farm the land and made it into a rural democracy, which no doubt had some effect on the way things are run today – Costa Rica is noted for being the most fair and democratically developed country in the region, with a conscientious regard for the ecology of the country.

Costa Ricanever had the kind of strong native civilisation of, say, Mexico, before the Spanish invasion, and the diseases brought into the country by Europe wiped out most of the indigenous peoples. Those who were left were largely absorbed into the Spanish population, although there are still a few very small tribes to be found in the country. Costa Rica was declared independent from Spain in 1821, but became part of Mexico, and only became an independent country in its own right in 1838.

Throughout the 20th century, Costa Rica enjoyed peace and a steady growth in prosperity, with the notable exception of a civil war in 1948, which followed a disputed presidential election. Significantly, however, Costa Rica is the only country in the region to have abolished the national army.

Generally, Costa Rica has been a peaceful and liberal country for well over a hundred years and despite a national emergency in 1991, when an earthquake hit the country causing widespread loss of life and damage, its tourism market has shot through the roof over the last couple of decades. In the 2010 Environmental Performance Index, it is ranked third in the world and first in the Americas. In keeping with their eco-friendly image, the government has announced plans to become the first carbon-neutral country by 2021.

The country is almost entirely Christian, with a Roman Catholic majority of 70.5%. Handshaking is common although is typically limp, and formal titular address is important. Christian names are preceded by Señor for a man and Señora for a woman, but Don is used to address a highly respected man and Doña for a female equivalent. Normal courtesies should be observed when visiting someone's home and gifts are appreciated as a token of thanks, especially if invited for a meal. For most occasions casual wear is acceptable, but beachwear should be confined to the beach.

Holidays

· 01 January – New Year's Day

· April – Easter

· 11 April – Juan Santamaria’s Day

· 01 May – Labour Day

· 25 July – Guanacaste Annexation

· 02 August – Virgin of Los Angeles, Feast of Patroness of Costa Rica

· 15 August – Mother’s Day and Assumption

· 15 September – Independence Day

· 25 December – Christmas

Taken from:

www.bbc.co.uk

www.worldtravelguide.net

COSTA RICAN people

According to the United Nations, in 2009 Costa Rica has an estimated population of 4,579,000 people. Together, whites and mestizos make up a 94% of the population, 3% are black people, 1% Amerindians, 1% Chinese, and 1% other.

Just under 3% of the population is of black African descent who are called Afro-Costa Ricans or West Indians and are English-speaking descendants of 19th century black Jamaican immigrant workers. Another 1% is composed of ethnic Chinese, and less than 1% are Middle Easterners, mainly of Lebanese descent.

There is also a community of North American retirees from the United States and Canada, followed by fairly large numbers of European Union expatriates (esp. Scandinavians and from Germany) come to retire as well, and Australians.

The indigenous population today numbers about 60,000 (1% of the population) with some Miskito and Garifuna (mixed African and West Indian with indigenous Arawak/Carib/Taíno) peoples live in the coastal regions.

Descendants of 19th century West Indian and Jamaican immigrant workers constitute an English-speaking minority and at 3% of the population—number about 96,000 to 100,000.

An estimated 10% of the Costa Rican population is made up of Nicaraguans.[3] There is also a number of Colombian refugees. Moreover, Costa Rica took in lots of refugees from a range of other Latin American countries fleeing civil wars and dictatorships during the 1970s and 80s - notably from Chile and Argentina.

Almost 100,000 Costa Ricans (2% of the country's population) live abroad, mostly in the United States, Mexico and Spain.

Population

4,608,426 (2011 est.)

Population density

89.6 hab/sq km

Median age

Total: 27.5 years

Male: 27.1

Female: 28 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate

1.5% (2005–2010)

Nationality

Noun: Costa Rican(s)

Adjective: Costa Rican

Ethnic groups

White & Mestizo 94%

Black/Afro-Caribbean 3%

Amerindian 1%

Chinese 1%

Other 1%

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Costa_Rica

COSTA RICAN food

Costa Rican cuisine is known for being flavorful, yet fairly mild, with high reliance on fresh fruit and vegetables. The main staple, known as gallo pinto, consists of rice and black beans.

For lunch, the traditional national dish is called a casado. It again consists of rice and beans served side by side instead of mixed. There will usually be some type of meat (carne asada, fish, pork chop or chicken) and a salad to round out the dish. There may also be some extras like fried plantain (patacones or maduro), a slice of white cheese, and/or corn tortillas in accompaniment.

Salsa Lizano is ubiquitous as a condiment and as an ingredient in cooking various dishes, including gallo pinto. In many family gatherings or for special occasions is very common to prepare Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken) accompanied with a Russian Salad, a salad made with beets, potatoes, hard boiled eggs and mayo. These two dishes are very popular in Costa Rican cuisine.

In taverns, various small dishes (boquitas) are served which include patacones with black bean dip, chimichurri (tomatoes and onions pickled in lime juice) accompanied with tortilla chips, chifrijo (rice and beans with chicharrones, which are fried pork skins, and chimichurri), ceviche (fish and/or shrimp with onions and pickled in lime juice) and vigorón (cabbage, chimichurri, yucca, served with a slice of lime).

Fresh vegetables are a primary ingredient in most main dishes, and members of the squash family are particularly common. These include varieties such as zucchini, zapallo, chayote, and ayote. Potato, onion, and sweet red pepper are other common ingredients. The above vegetables are in soups (sopas) which are usually made with beef or pork ribs as a base; also found in the soup will be corn on the cob, yucca, ñampi (a hairy root vegetable)and yam (camote).

Costa Ricans as a rule do not like spicy hot food; some do, as you will find home-made "chileras" in restaurants which can be made with vinegar, carrots, onions, other vegetables and always habanero chiles.

Coffee and bananas are the two main agricultural exports of the country and also form part of the local cuisine.

The plantain, a larger member of the banana family, is another commonly used fruit and can be served in a variety of ways. Ripe plantains (maduro) have a sweet flavor and can be fried in butter, baked in a honey or a sugar-based sauce, or put in soups. Green (unripe) plantains can be boiled in soups or can be sliced and fried to make patacones.

Sweet corn dishes are common traditional meals like pozol (corn soup), chorreadas (corn pancakes), etc.

Other Costa Rican food staples include corn tortillas, white cheese and picadillos. Tortillas frequently accompany meals, but rice is nearly always present. Traditionally people should often fill tortillas with whatever they are eating and eat it in the form of a gallo (direct translation: rooster, resembling soft Mexican taco), although this tradition is less in use currently and many restaurants serve tortillas only when requested by the client.

White cheese is non-processed cheese that is made by adding salt to milk in production.

Picadillosare meat and vegetable combinations where one or more vegetables are diced, mixed with beef and garnished with spices. Common vegetables used in picadillos are potatos, green beans, squash, ayote, chayote and arracache. Often, picadillos are eaten in the form of gallos.

Beverages

The traditional breakfast drink, besides coffee, is called agua dulce ("sweet water") and is made from tapa de dulce an ingredient very similar to the American "brown sugar". "Tapa de Dulce" is made with Sugar cane juice which is boiled down in traditional trapiches and put to solidify in conical molds with the top cut off called tapas ("lids"). Then some of this tapa is scraped off and dissolved into boiling water or milk to make the agua dulce.

Coffee is usually served at breakfast and during traditional coffee breaks in the afternoon, usually around 3:00pm. It has traditionally been brewed in a native Costa Rican drip brew device called a chorreador.

The traditional drinks for lunch are called refrescos or frescos for short and consist of liquefied fruits diluted in either water or milk and sweetened to taste. They come in many varieties such as melon, blackberry, strawberry, watermelon, mango, tamarind, passion fruit, guanabana, cas and lemon or lime. Vinegar is gross.

Another popular drink is known as a granizado, a slush drink made of finely shaved ice and flavored syrup. The most popular flavor is kola. This is not the cola usually associated with carbonated soda but a fruity cherry flavored syrup. It is usually served with evaporated and/or condensed milk on top.

The national liquor of Costa Rica, guaro, is made from sugarcane. Natives often drink guaro as a shot or mixed with juice or soda. The cost of guaro is very cheap compared to beer (cerveza) in Costa Rica which has only one producer. Imperial is the most popular beer and is an American style lager that is also available in Light. Pilsen is a Bohemian style Pilsner produced in Costa Rica. During the 2007 holiday season, a 6.0 version with higher alcohol content was produced. Due to its popularity, production of Pilsen 6.0 was continued through mid-2008. At that point, it was replaced with Pilsen Red. It has a 5.2% alcohol content and a hint of red coloring. Bavaria is offered in Light, Dark or Gold. The Dutch beer, Heineken, is also produced in Costa Rica. Import beers can be found in some markets, but are common only in parts of San José or larger tourist towns.

Costa Ricaproduces an excellent rum: Ron Centenario and the Flor de Caña rums made in Nicaragua are also widely available

Taken from wikipedia

Places to go in COSTA RICA

Special purchases include wood and leather rocking chairs (which dismantle for export), as well as a range of local crafts available in major cities and towns. Local markets are also well worth visiting. Prices are slightly higher than in other Latin American countries. Best buys are wooden items, carved masks, ceramics, gold pre-Columbian replica jewellery and leather handicrafts. In Pacific coast towns you’ll find plenty of handcrafted jewellery from the hippy ex-pats who have taken residence there and now spend their days sitting on the pavement with wires and beads. In San José you’ll find the standard shopping malls which house decent quality clothes at cheaper prices than the US – nothing special, but cheaper. Monteverde Cloud Forest has an impressive range of gift-shop produce – look out for the blown glass in the shape of hummingbirds and quetzals. If tempted to buy any pre-Colombian artefacts – jewellery, ceramics, stoneware – please be aware that it is an offense and also damages the culture of Costa Rica. Buying goods that are made of animal bones, skin or fur isn’t a good idea either – at best, customs will confiscate it.

For the typical bars-and-clubs atmosphere, San José especially has many nightclubs, and most other cities have some venues for this, of varying degrees of respectability. San José also has the most venues for folk music and dance, as well as theatres and cinemas. Coastal towns are a different matter – they have their bars and restaurants along the beach, and this is where you can expect the nightlife to take place. High class hotels tend to have their own bars, but beware of prices being forced through the roof for the American tourist market.

Cultural San Jose - Costa Rica’s capital is busy and bustling, and full of colour and life. It is also hot and sticky, with none of the coastal breeze or the highland fresh air. It holds half the country’s population, and so is the place to go to see Costa Rican life. The markets are excellent – the food markets in particular; check out Mercado Central – and the country’s top restaurants are here.

You can find a mixture of traditional and modern Spanish architecture in the capital. Places of interest include the Teatro Nacional, the Legislative Assembly building and the Catedral Metropolitana. The National Museum and the Museum of Pre-Columbian Gold are also worth a visit.

Wander the historic centre of Liberia, which is home to the most typical colonial-era architecture in the nation. Most important buildings are concentrated along and around Calle Real, one block east of the main plaza.

Learn something about Costa Rica's neglected contemporary indigenous cultures at the Centro Neotrópico Sapapiquí, in the Northern Lowlands. This superb museums honours the various tribes and exhibits examples of their pottery, bows and arrows, clothing and other artefacts, and shows a fascinating video.

Wrestle a marlin in the Pacific coast, which offers excellent sport fishing from Gulf of Papagayo to Golfito. Sailfish, marlin, tuna and wahoo are among the catches. The Tortuguero Canals and the area around Barra del Colorado offer world-class battles with tarpon.

Be thrilled by a white-water raft trip. Two of the country's best rivers for rafting are the Reventazón (class III) and Pacuare (class IV). The best times to go are from May to November.

Cruise aboard the Calypso catamaran to Isla Tortuga. This day-long excursion makes for a relaxing and enjoyable day from Puntarenas. This gorgeous island is rimmed with palm-shaded white sands shelving into turquoise waters, good for snorkelling. Watersports are offered, and a traditional beach barbecue rounds out the day.

Whizz across the waters of Lake Arenal, one of the world's top windsurfing spots. Situated at 5,580ft (1,700m) above sea level, the lake offers its best windsurfing between April and December.

One of Costa Rica’s main attractions, Monte Verde Cloud Forest is cool and damp, and here you can see some of the most diverse wildlife in the world. It holds over 400 types of birds including the rare and beautiful quetzal. Get a guide – it’s not to be missed.

One of the southern Nicoya peninsula’s most bohemian areas, Montezuma is a minor mission to get to, but once you’re here you might not leave. The beaches are glorious and excellent for surfing – careful of the current – and there’s quite a hippy ex-pat population around.

Hard to get to by land, but worth it: the Osa peninsula is reckoned to be one of the most beautiful places in Costa Rica and over half the species in the country can be found here. The main city is Puerto Jimenez and the Corcovado National Park in this region is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth.

Down in the Osa Peninsula is Drake Bay, and here is the best place in Costa Rica for seasonal whale-watching. From August through to March, humpback whales migrate from both the north and south through Drake Bay, along with bottlenose and spotted dolphins. Drake Bay has the longest humpback whale season in the world.

Seek out a quetzal, the Holy Grail of Costa Rica's tropical birds, and considered the most beautiful bird in the Neotropics. The most popular place to see them is in the green haven of the Monteverde Biological Cloud Preserve.

Relax in San José's numerous parks, including Parque Nacional, Parque Central and Parque Morazán. Avoid them at night, however. Tree-shaded Parque Nacional is the most interesting for its national monument, various busts and statues. Most tourists don’t gush about their stay in San José, Costa Rica’s modest capital city. It’s not that the high-rise hotels, dramatic volcanic backdrop, and cheerfully chaotic markets are unpleasant, at all. It simply isn’t the pristine rainforest advertised in all the brochures (though flocks of parrots do compete with the pigeons downtown).

If you can set aside your preconceptions, Chepe (a common nickname for San José), as Ticos (Costa Ricans) fondly call the city, is the cultural, political, and transportation hub of the country. With great museums and the nation’s best dining and nightlife scene, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Plus, San José is within a few hours of national parks, coffee plantations, beaches, hot springs, and more.

Santa Elena - a little town right next to Monteverde Cloud Forest is a good base for the many forest-type activities that are so popular here. One of the best is canopy walking, moving through the cloud forest on a series of rope bridges and platforms high above the ground, coming face to face with the wildlife and affording great views.

Explore Tortuguero National Park by boat to admire the rainforest. The various levels of soaring forest ecosystem are easily identified from the canals, and a guide can explain the ecology of each level and the various common species, including sloths and monkeys.

Trek to the summit of Cerro Chirripó. It is easily done with advance reservations through the national park office. All you need is stamina and the proper hiking gear. After a night in a lodge near the summit, trekkers are up before dawn to reach the summit before the clouds.

Witness marine turtles laying their eggs in soft sands along both Caribbean and Pacific shores. Strict rules are enforced when viewing hawksbill, green, loggerhead, Ridley and leatherback turtles, which lay at predictable times of year. Tortuguero National Park is one of the best places.

One of Costa Rica’s main exports is coffee, and you can visit the plantations. Book yourself on a tour in the nearby University town of Heredia and you can learn about the coffee produced here, or stay on a farm within the plantations.

Drive to the summit of smouldering Poás volcano, which has the country's only dwarf cloud-forest. You can also drive to the top of Irazú volcano, offering fantastic views over the Caribbean and Pacific on clear days. Both national parks have hiking trails, although be sure to stick to official trails and keep away from the crater edge.

Be Tarzan for a day. Harness up and swing through the rainforest on a canopying ecotour, enjoying the up-close view of tree-dwelling wildlife including monkeys and birds. Tours are available in several locations, including Rincón de la Vieja national park.

Taken from www.worldtravelguide.net

Doing business in COSTA RICA

Costa Rica remains one of the safest and most attractive country for foreign investment in Latin America.The Costa Rican government, its ministries and financial institutions maintain a decidedly pro-U.S. and continental stance in regard to financial security and tax laws.

The stated aim is to entice primarily high-tech corporations to take advantage of Central America's most educated, computer literate and disciplined workforce, along with the modern production infrastructure the country is currently creating. The economy is being transformed from its longtime dependence on coffee, bananas and cattle raising to one centered on microprocessor production and high-tech telecommunications services.

This investment-friendly climate and government policy of making Costa Rica "the Silicon Valley of Latin America" has enticed commercial leaders such as Acer, Microsoft, GE, Abbot Laboratories, Continental Airways and Intel Corporation to make sizable investments here, both financially and physically, with major production and distribution facilities. Western Union has chosen Costa Rica to host its Latin American regional operations center. In 1998, for the first time ever, Costa Rica is poised to earn more from high technology exports than from coffee or bananas or even its lucrative, thriving tourism industry.

The World Bank has given Costa Rica an excellent bill of overall political and economic health. At its annual conference in El Salvador this year, the bank lauded the country as possessing "one of the most stable and robust" democracies in Latin America. It went on to praise the Costa Rica's "healthy economic growth rate" and "some of the best social indicators" on the continent.

Costa Rica is one of the most vocal supporters of continental free trade, and already has its own agreement with Mexico and other countries of the region. Costa Rica's numerous free trade zones and tax holiday opportunities are extremely enticing. They offer benefits such as exemption from import duties on raw materials, capital goods, parts and components; unrestricted profit repatriation; tax exemption on profits for eight years and a 50 percent exemption for the following four years.

A study done recently for the Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) projects that by the year 2005, Costa Rica's export earnings will amount to $15.7-billion, about four times the current figure. Intel will be leading the way; its exports, from the three manufacturing facilities the processing giant is building here, are expected to reach an annual $3.5-billion by the year 2001.

High-tech companies will spur the export boom, while traditional exports, such as coffee and bananas, will fall in percentages of overall figures, but in terms of revenue, will continue to grow.

Costa Rica is building a competitive advantage for itself and the many high-tech companies who have chosen or are pondering the option to operate here. It is a country at a turning point in integrating itself into the modern world economy. Those doing business here will have the inside track.

CINDE, the Costa Rica Investment and Development Board, has been officially commissioned by the government of Costa Rica to be the main promoter and advisor to foreign investors. CINDE is a private, nonprofit organization that provides complete and updated information on the economy and the business environment in Costa Rica, and helps in the initial contact with potential investors. It has an office in New York to provide tailor-made services. PROCOMER, the Foreign Trade Promotion Institute, can help exporters understand relevant legislation, acquire export permits, seize the advantages of market opportunities and chart their way through related fields of endeavor. CADEXCO, the Costa Rican Exporters Chamber, provides information to entrepreneurs, private and public institutions on export procedures and requirements; trade barriers and how to overcome them; how to sell products abroad; information on export credit lines and export contracts, international prices, etc.

Taken from www.costarica.net